Toothbrush



Feb. y8, 1955 M. |.oDEwlcK E'rAL 2,701;38l

'roomBRusH Filed April 5. 1948 l IN1/Ewan. MADELEINE LODENICK M ILDRED LODEWICK ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 8, 1955 TOOTHBRUSH Madeleine Lodewiek and Mildred Lodewick,

. NewYo rk,N.Y.A

Application Api-ii s, 194s, sei-iai No. '18,958 11 claims. (cris-184) This invention relates to improvements in toothbrushes and has for an object the provision of a collapsible toothbrush which is clean and sanitary.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a collapsible toothbrush which, when in the closed position, has means extending lfrom one end thereof which enables the brush to be hung up.

open position (as shown in Figure 1) the portion 18 ofthe head forms aft in the open end 11 of the casing and its movement inwardly is stopped or vlimited by the bead or fillet 17 when it contacts the end of the casing. The head portion 18 has opposite depressions,

. concavities, or open areas 20 and 21 formed therein Yet another object of ,the invention is the provision of a collapsible toothbrush which includes an open-ended casing, `a toothbrush having a head portion with an intermediate bead which forms' a stop to. limit the depth of insertion of said head vinto the end of the c asing both for the closed position and for the open position.

A further object of the invention is the provision u i a toothbrush of a casing having an open end and having the opposite end perforate, a head carrying an extension into which the bristles of the brush are embedded, said head having the opposite end arranged so that when the bristle end is inserted inthe casing, the device may be hung up, and any water remaining in the bristles may drain downwardly and exit. through said perforate en d.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a study of the specification and the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which are given by way of example:

Figure 1 is an exploded view, showing the open-ended casing and the brush having a head portion forming a fit in said open end and having an intermediate bead which forms a stop for limiting` the insertion .of the head into the handle both for the open and the closed positions;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the brush of Figure l, shown in the closed position;

Figure 3 is a view` of the opposite end of the casing showing perforations therein;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modification wherein the external portion of said head, when the brush is in the closed position, has a passage therethrough permittingthe device to be hung upon a hook or the like;

Figure 5 i-s a further modification, similar to Figure 4, except that both the casing and the head are oval in cross-section and the external portionof the head, like Figure 4, has a passage therethrough by means of which the device may be hung up;

Figure 6 is a further modification of the arrangement shown in Figure 4, wherein the external portion of the head, when the brush is closed, has a passage therethrough; v

Figure 7 shows a further modification in which the exterior portion of the head, when the brush is in the closed position, is somewhatcylindrical in form; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary viewof the head 16a of J Figure 4 showing the spaced lateral passages on each side of the central bead formed in the head.

Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the device consists of a casing 10 which is rectangular in cross-section and which has an open end 11 and a closed end 1 2. The closed end has a plurality vof perforations 13 formed therein. The removable member has a shank 14 carrying brush bristles 15. Preferably formed integral with the shank 14 is a head or handle portion 16 which is divided by a bead 17 into portions 18 and 19. When the end bearing .bristles is inserted into the casing, the portion 19 of the head forms a fit in the end 11 of the casing and the inward movement of the head 19 is stopped by the bead 17. When the brush is in the closed end 32 which also may be perforate.

defining boundary fins or walls leaving a web 22 therebetween. The portion 19 has opposite depressions or concavities 23 and 24 formed therein, likewise defining boundary fins or walls leaving therebetween a solid web 25. A lateral web 26 defining a partition, stop or boundary joins the webs 22 and 25 more or less and also joins the head 17. On the opposite face of the head portion 19, a web forming a part of the partition, stop or boundary 27 connects with the webs 22, 25 and the bead 17.

Due to the formation of the depressions 20 and 21, the user may get a firm gripon the head to open the brush up, even with wethands. Now, when the brush is open and it is desired to close it, the user, due to the presence of the depressions 23 and 24, may'also get a good4 grip on the head, even with wet hands.

Referring now to Figure 4, which'is identical with the device shown in Figures 1 and 2, with one exception, the outer portion 18a of the head 16a has a passage 28 therethrough which venables the user to hang the brush up when it is in the closed position. Further details of the head 16a are shown in Figure 8, wherein the portion 23a of the head constitutes a passage or open area therethrough.. With this arrangement, like the 'arrangement shown in Figures l and 2, the user may get a firm grip on the head for removing it. v

. Figure 4 might alsobe considered identical with the device shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the exception that both the webs 22 and 25 are omitted, thereby providing crosspassages in bcth portions of the head adjacent to and on either side of the bead 17a Referring now to Figure 5, the brush is similar to Figures 1 and 2, except. that the casing 30 is curved or oval in cross-Section, and has an open end 31, and a The head 33 is also-oval or curved in cross-section to form a snug fit Vin the open end 31. The head 33 is provided with a bead 34 which divides the head into two portions, one of which is positioned within the open end 31 and the other of which is designated by a numeral 35. The head 33 also has a rounded end 36 and a passage or open area 31 therethrough makes it easy for the user to operi the brush, and it also 'enables the user to hang the brush up with the perforate end of the casing extending downwardly so that any water on the brush may drain out.

In the modicationishown in Figure 6, the structure may be identical with'that of Figures l and 2, with the exception that the portion 18h of the head which is outside of the casing 10b when the brush is closed, is pro-- vided with a peak'38 having a passage or open area 39 therethrough.

In the form shown in Figure v7, the exterior portion 18e of the head has a rounded surface 40, and a round passage or open area 41 extends therethrough, thereby facilitating the removal of the head and brush element from the casing 10c and also permitting'the user to hang the brush up when the same is closed.

Although we have herein shown and'described a number of embodiments of the invention, it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the arrangements herein shown and described within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a toothbrush, a head, an with and forming an extension of one end of said head, said arm carrying bristles, a bead formed on said head intermediate the ends thereof, a casing having one end thereof open and the other end thereof closed and carrying perforations, 'the portions of said head on each side of said bead each forming .a working fit in said open end, said bead being adapted to limit the depth of insertion of a portion of said head into the open end of said casing, and crosspassages formed in both portions of said head spaced apart from each other and sub-A arm formed integral grower stantially equidistant from said bead, one of said crosspassages being covered by said casing when the toothbrush is open and ready for use, said last mentioned crosspassage being uncovered and used to hang said toothbrush up when the bristles are in the enclosed p osition.

2. A toothbrush according to claim l in which one of said crosspassages is generally rectangular in crosssection and the other being generally triangular in crosssection.

3. A toothbrush according to claiml in which both of said crosspassages are somewhat triangular in cross- 4. 'A toothbrush according to claim l in which one of said crosspassages is somewhat triangular in form and the other of which is round.

5. In a toothbrush, a casing having one end thereof open and the other end thereof perforate, a head having an extension on one end thereof carrying bristles, a bead formed about said head intermediate the ends thereof, the portions of said head oneach side of said bead each forming a working tit in said open end, and said bead forming a stop to limit the depth of insertion of either portion of said head into the open end of said casing,

' a lateral passage extending through said head to one side of said bead and depression means formed 1n said head between the other side of said bead and said extension and terminating in opposed depressions 1n the last portion of said head, said passage being covered by said casing when the toothbrush is open for use, and said depressions being covered by the casing when the toothbrush is in the closed position.

6. In a toothbrush, a casing having one end thereof open and the other end thereof perforate, a head having an extension on one end thereof carrying bristles, av

bead formed about said head intermediate the ends thereof, the portions of said head on each side of said bead each forming a working fit in said open end, and said bead forming a stop to limit the depth of insertion of either portion of said head into the open end of said casing, and a lateral passage extending through said head on one side of said bead and another lateral passage formed in said head on the other side of said bead, one of said passages being covered by said casing when the toothbrush is open for use, and the other of said passages being covered by the casing when the bristles are in the enclosed position.

7. A toothbrush according to claim 6, in which thev sides of said casing are curved and in which said head is also curved to vform a lit in the open end of the casing.

8. A toothbrush according to claim 6, in which the ortion of said head external to the casing when the bristles are in the enclosed position, has generally rectangular opposing sides terminating in a peak, 'a passage generally parallel to the exterior surface being formed therein whereby when said brush is in the closed position and hung on a hook or other support, the internal apex of said passage engages said hook and causes said brush to hang vertically therefrom.

9. In a toothbrush, a head, an arm formed integral with and forming an extension of one end of said head, said arm carrying bristles, a bead formed on said head intermediate the ends thereof, a casing having one end thereof open and the other end thereof closed and carrying perforations, the portions of said head on each side of said bead each forming a working fit in said open end, said bead being adapted to limit the depth of insertion of a portion of said head into the open end of said casing, a crosspassage formed in one portion of said head adjacent to said bead, a second crosspassage formed in the other portion of said head adjacent to said bead, one of said crosspassages being covered by the casing when said toothbrush is open and ready for use, and the other crosspassage being covered by said casing when the bristles are in anenclosed position.

l0. In a toothbrush, a head, an arm formed integral with and forming an extension of one end of said head, said arm carrying bristles, a casing having one end thereof open and the other end thereof closed and carrying perforations, engageable stop means formed inpart on said head intermediate the ends thereof and formed in part in said casing, the portions of said head on each side of said first part of said stop means each forming a working fit in said open end, said rst part being adapted to engage said second part of said stop means to limit the depth of insertion of either portion of said head into the open end of said casing; and at least the portion of said head external to said casing, when said bristles are in the enclosed position, having a crosspassage therethrough permitting the closed brush to be hung upon a hook or the like.

11. 1n collapsible brush structure, a casing having a bore of substantially non-circular cross-section, the bore being open at one end and closed at the other end, an elongated member for association with the casing, the member having a brush-carrying section and a' handle section, a brush carried by said brush-carrying section, a boundary member between the brush-carrying section and-the handle section, the sections having lateral faces at least in part positioned to be complementary to the internal shaping of the bore at the open end, the boundary member extending laterally beyond said lateral faces, said lateral faces comprising means for snugly interlitting within the casing on selectively push fitting the member into-the casing in either direction so that the brush may selectively be housed within the casing or be supported by the casing with the casing providing a handle for the brush, the boundary member providingA a stop for limiting movement of the lateral faces into the bore from either direction, the handle section being formed with a depression, the depression extending laterally inwardly from a lateral face of the section to a depth suficient to receive a finger end therein, a projection extending transversely from and adjacent the free end of the handle section to provide an engaging face at the end of the depresion spaced from the boundary member, the depression providing means for the entry of a nger end of the hand holding the casing manually to engage said end face of the proiection to push the handle section from the casing when the brush-carrying section is intertitted within the bore.

12. In collapsible brush structure, a casing having a bore of substantially non-circular cross-section, the bore being open at one end and closed at the other end, an elongated member for association with the casing, the member having a brush-carrying section and a handle section, a brush carried by said brush-carrying section, a boundary member between the brush-carrying section and the handle section, the sections having laterally directed walls enclosing a concavity, one of the lateral walls extending transversely of the extent of the member and adjacent the outer end of the handle section, the walls having faces at least in part positioned to be complementary to the internal shaping of the bore at the open end, the boundary member extending across said concavity and laterally beyond said faces, said lateral walls comprising means for snugly interfitting within the casing on selectively push fitting the member into the casing in either direction so that the brush may selectively be housed within the casing or be supported bv the casing with the casing providingy a handle for the brush, the boundary member providing a stop for limiting movement of the lateral walls into the bore from either direction, said transversely extending wall providing means for manual engagement to push the handle section from the casing when the brush-carrying section is intertitted within the bore, and that portion ofthe concavity between the boundary member and the brush substantially forming an enclosure when the brush is housed within the casing.

13. In collapsible brush structure, acasing having a bore of substantially uniform non-circular cross-section,

the bore being open at one end, a closure at the otherend of the casing, an elongated member for association with the casing, a portion at one end of the member having outer boundary faces complementary to said crosssection, certain of said boundary faces having a laterally open concavity associated therewith,'a brush carried by the member at a position spaced from said portion, said portion being push fitted into the bore through said open end selectively in either direction with said boundary faces in either case snugly intertitting within the bore so that the brush may be extended outside of the casing or be housed within the bore, the concavity being closed oi by the walls of the casing when the brush is housed within the bore, and cooperating means on the member and the casing for limiting movement of the member in either direction into the bore, the cooperating means including a single element forming a part of the portion to engage against a section of the casing on movement Df the portion in either direction on insertion into the bore and to stop the member and maintain the brush in a fixed relation to said casing.

14. In collapsible brush structure, a casing having a bore of substantially uniform non-circular cross-section, the bore being open at one end, an elongated member for association with the casing, the member having a brush-carrying section, a brush carried by said section,

a handle portion, thin walls extending laterally from the handle portion and the portion of the brush-carrying section adjacent the handle portion defining a concavity, the outermost edges of the thin walls being positioned to provide faces to interlit snugly within the walls of said bore when the handle portion or the brush-carrying section is push fitted into the bore in either direction, and a transverse partition extending across said concavity and beyond the-outermost bounds of said thin walls, the partition providing a stop to limit movement of the handle portion into the bore, the member being push fitted into the bore selectively in either direction with the thin walls snugly interlitting within the bore so that the brush may be extended outside of the casing or be housed within the bore, the brush, when housed within the bore, being maintained by engagement of the faces of the thin walls with the walls of the bore in fixed spaced relationship to the walls of the bore.

15. In collapsible brush structure, a casing having a bore of substantially uniform non-circular cross-section, the bore being open at one end, a closure at the other end of the casing, an elongated member for association with the casing, the member having a brush-carrying section, a brush carried by said section, a handle portion, thin walls extending laterally from the handle portion and the portion of the brush-carrying section adjacent .the handle portion defining concavities on both sides of the portions, the outermost edges of the thin walls being positioned to cooperate with the walls of said bore and snugly to intert within said bore when either of the portions enters the bore, and a fillet extending beyond the outermost edges of the thin walls at a position between said portions, the member being push fitted into the bore selectively in either direction with the thin walls snugly interfittingwithin the bore so that the brush may be extended outside of the casing or be housed within the bore, the fillet providing means to limit movement of the portions into the bore, thc brush, when housed within the bore, being maintained by the thin walls in a fixed spaced relationship to the walls of the bore.

16. In collapsible brush structure, a casing having a bore of substantially uniform non-circular cross-section, the bore being open at one end, a closure at the other end of the casing having passage means provided therein,

an elongated member for association with the casing, the member having a brush-carrying section, a b

carried by said section, a handle portion, the handle por-Y 4to cooperate with the walls of said bore for obtaining substantially a snug fit in said bore whether either of the portions is inserted into thebore, means carried by the upstanding means and the casing for limiting movement of the portions into the bore, the member being push fitted into the bore selectively in either direction with the upstanding means snugly interfitting within the bore so that the brush may be extended outside of the casing or be housed within the bore, the brush, when housed within the bore, being maintained bythe upstanding means in a fixed spaced relationship to the walls of the bore, and the upstanding means providing a transverse ledge adjacent the free end of the handle portion for manual engagement to move the member out of the casing when the brush is housed within the bore.

17. In collapsible brush structure, a casing having a bore of substantially uniform non-circular cross-section, the bore being open at one end, a closure at the other end of the casing having passage means provided therein, an elongated member for association with the casing, the member having a brush-carrying section, a brush carried by said section, and a'handle portion extending beyond the brush-carrying section, the handle portion comprising boundary walls enclosing an open area opening laterally of the handle portion, the boundary walls having outer faces in position complementarily to interiit within said bore, said handle portion being push tted into the bore through said open end selectively in either direction to bring said outer faces of said boundary walls snugly into interfitting relationship within the bore and accordingly supporting the brush extended outside of the casing or within the bore, the member having a partition extending transversely across said open area and laterally beyond said outer faces to engage the casing on movement of the handle portion into the bore in either direction for limiting movement of the brush with relation to the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,082,919 Tubbs Dec. 30, 1913 1,085,240 Borst Jan. 27, 1914 1,188,845 Scovell June 27, 1916 1,481,192 Feuerstein Ian. 15, 1924 2,310,571 Brady Feb. 9. 1943 

